TV REVIEW: Chicago PD Reveals Burgess’ Fate in “Shouldn’t Have Been Alone”

After a far too long of a break, Chicago PD is back with a little house of horrors episode where we find out the fate of officer Kim Burgess. Rest easy, people – she lives. In “Shouldn’t Have Been Alone” we see a guilty Roman, an in love Ruzek, intense Linstead flirting, Erin still heading to the Task Force, and Voight’s softer side.

This one picks up right where we left off with Burgess shot, and the arguing Roman and his ex-fiancée dropping the fighting for a bit to try and save her life. Roman goes into the house alone looking for the shooter, blonde ex stays with badly bleeding Burgess. Not the most promising beginning for a happy ending.

Chicago’s House of Horrors

Roman enters the house by himself which I’m pretty sure, based on watching years of NYPD Blue, is a violation of some police protocol. In something out of a scary horror movie, he creeps up some stairs finding a dead body soaking in acid a la Breaking Bad. The not so fun house also features a bunch of booby traps one of which triggers screamo serial killer music. Okay, I’m scared. The IU team gets there and Voight goes in alone telling everyone to stand down because he’s that badass. Does this guy ever break a sweat? Roman’s sweating enough for the both of them. They make it out alive. Whew!

Roman rides in the ambo with Kim looking mighty guilty, knowing she shouldn’t have been at that door without him. When he returns to the precinct he tells his ex, “I want you not to be here when I get back.” He says they’re “bad luck” together. And annoying.

The team discovers there was no shooter; it was a house set up to kill. The buzzer was rigged to trigger the gun. “So our killer is what? Some kind of brilliant tech wiz?” asks Erin.

“Don’t give him too much credit. He’ll only disappoint you when we catch him.” Voight answers.

Pictured: (l-r) Patrick John Flueger as Adam Ruzek, Brian Geraghty as Sean Roman — (Photo by: Matt Dinerstein/NBC)

The Softer Side of Voight – Part I

As expected Ruzek shows up to hold Kim’s hand and look worried. He’s CPD’s big lug who’s long on heart and a little short on brain cells. He zips in and out of the hospital all night, torn between staying with her and helping to find her shooter. When he leaves, it is in the crotchety hands of Trudy Platt.

Someone we’re not used to wearing his heart on his sleeve is Hank Voight. In full caring mode, he talks to Roman saying, “I know you did everything at the scene that you could.” He tells the officer he can make it up to her by catching the crazy who set all this up. I wonder if we’d see this sweet Voight if he found out how it really went down. I’m thinking a cage might be involved or a permanent detail on the parking ticket detail.

The Big Break

The team tries to track down a meth head who may be involved (based on some Atwater intel) but find another dead body instead. They get their big break when they uncover the two murders were personal. They find a connection to a college professor, Dr. Webber. Both of the dead had a connection to the professor. One was his mentor, the other his son. Talking to Webber’s TA sends them on the trail of a crazy (bipolar) student.

On to another house of horrors, this time the trigger comes from a car parked across the street. So, they’re after a psycho who’s watched one too many horror flicks?

Lindsay notices the disturbed student taking in the scene from across the street. They arrest him and find out Dr. Webber’s wife is missing.

Voight questions the professor and he seems to be holding back something. Webber finally admits that his wife was having an affair. Crazy student kidnapped the wife to expose the infidelity and embarrass the professor. Crazy logic but I guess it makes sense from a crazy. Sort of.

They find the wife in a house being renovated, tied to a chair in only bra and panties. After some tense moments, Voight, Halstead and Roman disarm the C-4 strapped to the hysterical woman. Case closed already? The scenes in the horror houses were heart pounding, feeling more like a movie than a TV show. CPD does seem to be hitting its stride with character development, gritty realism, and a fast paced, action packed case of the week formula. A show that’s found its identity in the sometimes troubling sophomore season. We love it.

Pictured: Jesse Lee Soffer as Jay Halstead — (Photo by: Matt Dinerstein/NBC)

The Softer Side of Voight – Part II

“Sleeping beauty still waits for her true love’s kiss,” Platt says as Ruzek comes back to the hospital to check on Burgess. Now that loverboy’s arrived, she makes her leave. Adam pulls up a chair, not going anywhere.

Voight pops in for a visit, bringing donuts for the injured cop. She’s all cute and nervous with big intimidating sergeant in her hospital room.

“You’ll have to tell me what it feels like sometime. Catching all that lead. I’ve never had that pleasure.” Voight says Lindsay’s position is hers if she wants it. He’s going to overlook the relationship thing with Ruzek who’s asleep in a chair.

Is it just me or is the whole turning a blind eye to combining work with pleasure thing a bit far fetched? First, Boden on older brother Chicago Fire allows Dawson to be a candidate at 51 in spite of her relationship with Casey. Now, Voight is going to allow Burzek to flourish under his nose on his team? What? Sorry, Chicago writers, not buying either storyline.

When Ruzek wakes up, Kim doesn’t say anything about the job offer, telling him she was talking to a nurse. So is she not taking the job? That would be an interesting twist. She must’ve watched the last episode of Fire and seen the big Dawsey break up. The final scene of the night shows Burgess discharged from the hospital and now in bed with Ruzek. She wakes up, going to the bathroom. She stares at herself in the mirror for a long time, contemplating her injuries, her possible promotion, how darn good she looks sans makeup. Can’t wait to see if she saddles up with Intelligence and if she does, what the new Burzek dynamics will be.

Pictured: (l-r) Patrick John Flueger as Adam Ruzek, LaRoyce Hawkins as Kevin Atwater, Marina Squerciati as Kim Burgess — (Photo by: Matt Dinerstein/NBC)

Linstead Tease

Speaking of couples, Linstead shared more than a couple of looks and even a little physical contact. Calm down, it was only a hug. Erin comes back to the office after her last case with the team, and it’s just her and Halstead. “You can’t stay away,” he says. “You want a goodbye hug,” he teases, adding “I’ll miss you.” They hug it out and the squeals on Twitter can be heard throughout Facebook.

Next week’s preview looks as intense as any episode this season. Lindsay’s in her new role as an agent with the Task Force, all our favorites are still major players combining forces with Erin’s new work family, and Linstead may be happening.

So what were your thoughts on this #SaveBurgess episode? Do you think Kim will be joining IU? How long will Erin stay away from her old team? And will Jay and Erin make a move toward a relationship, or a date, or perhaps just exchanging phone numbers? See you back here next week, same time, same place.

Chicago PD airs Wednesdays at 10 pm on NBC.